Reading

Labor’s announcement on permanent visas has been overshadowed by the fact that thousands of other refugees have been left in a hell of uncertainty.

The post Labor’s permanent visas announcement leaves thousands behind appeared first on Solidarity Online.

And the stupid crazy Ron Brownstein interviewed Simon Rosenberg of the NDN , one of the few Democratic analysts who saw that the 2022 Red Wave was hype. Here, he explains how he knew that: Brownstein: There was a widespread narrative in the media about the red wave. I spoke on the weekend before the election to half a dozen top-level Democratic operatives and pollsters who were anticipating disaster. You and a couple others were really the conspicuous exceptions to that. I’m wondering why the general wisdom, not only in the media, but in much of the party, was so off? And what are the implications of that for 2024? Rosenberg: When I look back at what happened, I go back to something we’ve been discussing, which is the power of the right-wing propaganda machines to bully public opinion into places that it shouldn’t be going. And I think there was never a red wave, and there needs to be a lot more public introspection done by those of us who do political analysis about why so many people got it wrong. The only way you could believe that a red wave was coming was if you just discounted the ugliness of MAGA.

... and we don't rate them highly! read now...

"We've had to pass on those costs to consumers"

The post What Racial <span class="dewidow">Justice Requires</span> appeared first on Roosevelt Institute.

The plan for an Indigenous Voice to parliament was a result of the government-funded push for constitutional recognition that would deny any real rights, argues Paddy Gibson

The post How the plan for a token advisory Voice was hatched appeared first on Solidarity Online.

We’re all familiar with the myth: Prometheus steals fire from the Gods and gives it to man and is cruelly punished for it.

I’ve considered writing a story in which Prometheus is freed by Zeus and returned to Earth to judge the results of his action.

After East Palestine, as in 2005, harmful chemical releases are unlikely to affect the rail company’s stock price or bottom line.

The post Norfolk Southern Argued Against “Emotional Evocations of ‘Deadly Chemicals’” After 2005 Derailment appeared first on The Intercept.

Monetary policy has been historically concerned with controlling inflation, using the interest rate as its main tool. However, such policies are not gender- or race-neutral.

ASIO head Mike Burgess has loudly joined the anti-China campaign, acting to intimidate journalists and anyone seeking positive relations with China. read now...

Right-wing Christian blogger and media figure Rod Dreher has moved to Hungary, where he continues...

It’s a tough contest these days, but Ted Cruz retains the title of most unctuous creep in the Republican party

“New editions of [Roald Dahl’s] children’s classics, including ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ have been altered to eliminate words deemed inappropriate. A backlash ensued.” — New York Times

Dear Fat-Headed Roald Dahl-Censoring Fuckers,

You’re censors. You’re not editors, and you’re not readers. You’re censors. You are exactly what Orwell warned us about.

So fuck you.

Without the author’s consent, you are changing and omitting words that the author wrote. That makes you a censor. An agent of censorship. Only fascists censor books.

What you’re doing is crazy. See? We said it. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.

You will not take words from the human race. You have no fucking right.

When you censor, you condescend. Fat people call themselves fat because they are not ashamed of themselves. But you are ashamed of us. You think being overweight is something to be ashamed of, so you erase this word, and you erase all fat people. Well, fuck you.

Fascinating: Personally, I’m not into the ancestry craze. I don’t care much about that stuff. I’m old fashioned. But it is fascinating to see how much an immigrant country like the United States has evolved in this way.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s track record and rail company links raise questions about his ability to hold the rail giant accountable for the derailment disaster.

~ Today's Water Cooler ~

In his newsletter today, Dan Pfeiffer notes the contrast between President Biden and Ron DeSantis on President’s Day, when Biden went to Kiev and DeSantis went to Fox: On the other side was Florida Governor and putative Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis appearing on Fox and Friends to slam President Biden for his offering “blank checks to Ukraine.” DeSantis told the hosts: This moment was revelatory in two key ways. First, it demonstrated the challenge for Republicans trying to run against the Fox News caricature of “Sleepy Joe.” It’s hard to overstate the stature gap between a commander in chief astride the world stage and a Governor chopping it up Steve Doocy on a cable morning show. You can’t credibly argue that Biden isn’t up to the job, when he is blazoned across every screen doing the job in historically courageous ways. Presidents usually win reelection in part because they have the consistent opportunity to create made-for-media moments that dominate the national conversation.

Retiring Sen. Pat Toomey is joining Apollo Global Management after helping enrich the private equity industry during his time in Congress

Saba Salman reports on the yet-to-be-published findings of a national commission examining the impact of the pandemic, disablism and systemic racism

Testimony of Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs University Professor at Columbia University UN Security Council Session on the Nord Stream Pipeline Destruction February 21, 2023 As Delivered My name is Jeffrey D. Sachs. I am University Professor at Columbia University. I am a specialist in the global economy, including global trade, finance, infrastructure, and economic statecraft. I Continue reading »

A key feature of following the news and reporting from mainstream Western media today is the relentless China bashing. It is off the charts, tiring, and often regurgitated trivia or fabricated stories with no evidence to support callous statements about the country, demonstrating a deep lack of understanding. But it continues to be churned out Continue reading »

The anniversary of the war in Ukraine was accompanied by high level visits to both Moscow and Kviv. One visit appears to offer at least a glimmer of hope and the other presents a picture of more destruction, suffering and death. Chinese foreign minister Wang’s meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov and president Putin Continue reading »

Many government reviews or reports are leaked in part for reasons of bureaucratic politics and the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) is no exception. Given the probability that these emanations are accurate, two reactions are also highly likely. The first is that knowledgeable and engaged citizens are likely to suffer from hypoxia in the realisation that Continue reading »